2023 US Coffee Champions announced at SCA Expo
Image: SCA
After completing the first full competitions cycle since 2019, the highly anticipated 2023 US Coffee Championships (USCC), took place inside the Competitions Hall at Specialty Coffee Expo in Portland. The US Barista, Cup Tasters, Roaster, Brewer’s Cup, Coffee in Good Spirits, and Latte Art Champions were announced at the closing awards ceremony on the Barista Stage.
The 2023 US Coffee Champions are:
1. US Cup Tasters Champion: Jake Donaghy, Olympia Coffee Roasting
2. Andrew Shelley, Brio Coffeeworks
3. Andy Sprenger, Sweet Bloom Coffee Co
4. Tom Bomford, Black Fox Coffee
1. US Barista Champion: Isaiah Sheese, Archetype Coffee
2. Morgan Eckroth, Onyx Coffee Lab
3. Juan Diaz, KWC
4. Dakota Graff, Onyx Coffee Lab
5. Reef Bessette, The Coffee Movement
6. Frank La, Be Bright Coffee
1. US Brewers Cup Champion: Wenbo Yang, Artly Coffee
2. Weihong Zhang, Blendin Coffee Club
3. Daniel Teplitz, Klatch Coffee
4. Jesus Iniquez, Archetype Coffee
5. Max Phills, Loveless Coffees
6. Elika Liftee, Onyx Coffee Lab
1. US Roaster Champion: Andrew Coe, Elevator Coffee
2. Steve Cuevas, Black Oak Coffee Roasters
3. Alex Huang, Aroma Craft Coffee
4. Eduardo Choza, Mayorga Coffee
5. Matthew Selivanow, Kafiex Roasters
6. Sam LaRobardiere, Theory Coffee Roasters
1. US Latte Art Champion: Piyapat Lapteerawut, Coffee Project NY
2. Wenbo Yang, Artly Coffee
3. Truc Ngo, IO Coffee
4. Julie Patadia, Coffee Project NY
5. Camilo Gomez, Nativus/Red House
6. Adbulqader Dali, Dali Coffee LLC
1. US Coffee in Good Spirits Champion: Sam Schroeder, Olympia Coffee
2. Kyle Hamlin, Jubala Coffee
3. Edwin Gorritz, Barista Squared
4. Linnea True, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
5. Natasha Solowoniuk, Caffe Vita
6. Mo Koolphanich, Slipstream Coffee
The US Barista, Cup Tasters, Roaster, Brewer’s Cup, and Coffee in Good Spirits Champions will go on to represent the US at the World Coffee Championships events in Athens, Greece, and Taipei, Taiwan later this year.
It’s been an exciting three days of fast-paced competitions, with over 70 competitors from around the US vying for the title of US Coffee Champion across six different skill-based competitions. After the cancellation of the 2020 cycle and postponement of the 2021 Championships, these events are the culmination of the first full competitions cycle since 2019, including competitors who participated in 13 local Preliminary events across the US that took place fall of 2022 and, those who ranked in the 2 Qualifying events in Baltimore, MD and Denver, CO earlier this year.
With the exception of Cup Tasters, each competition is judged based on a series of number of requirements:
For the US Barista Champion title, competitors must prepare and serve espressos, cappuccinos, and a personally designed signature beverage for four sensory judges; all while being assessed on their preparation abilities by two technical judges.
The US Brewers Cup is an exciting competition that highlights and celebrates the art of manual coffee brewing. All competitors will initially prepare the same coffee, before giving a prepared presentation with the coffee of their choice.
Coffee in Good Spirits competitors must prepare and serve coffee cocktails for taste judges; all while being assessed on their preparation abilities by a technical/visual judge.
Cup Tasters competitors perform a fast-paced display of sensory skills by discerning taste differences in a “triangulation.” The competitor with the ability to taste, smell, concentrate, and recall, those with the most correct answers in the shortest amount of time will take home the title of US Cup Tasters Champion.
Roaster competitors green grade a compulsory coffee, make a roast plan, and roast their compulsory coffee onsite.
The return of the Latte Art Championship allows competitors to present their original designs in a set of two identical lattes and two identical macchiatos, judged by two visual judges and one technical judge.
This year’s competitions were led by generous volunteer leadership from the SCA USA Chapter, and our event Sponsors, whose support makes the US Coffee Championships possible. USCC is supported by 2023 USCC Title and US Barista Championship Title Sponsor Pacific Foods; US Brewer’s Cup Championship Title Sponsor Origami; US Roaster Championship Title Sponsor Savor Brands as well as the official USCC Cleaning Product Sponsor Urnex Brands; Official USCC Water Sponsor Pentair; among many others listed at uscoffeechampionships.org.
